Alexandra's London Blog

Alexandra's Boston Blog

Journalism holds the key to Alexandra Leslie's heart. From internships both in the U.S. and abroad to her time with Ithaca College Television, WICB Radio and the Society of Professional Journalists to both print and broadcast style classes, Leslie’s experienced every aspect of the college’s journalism program—and has loved every second of it.

As a freshman, Leslie got involved with ICTV’s award-winning tri-weekly news program, NewsWatch 16, as an assistant producer. From there, she quickly moved up the ranks to reporter, anchor and eventually landed a spot as one of three producers. Leslie feels her time at NewsWatch 16 gave her the necessary experience to apply for both internships and real-world jobs.

“I feel very prepared to enter the world because by working for ICTV, I’ve learned to edit, use a camera, write for broadcast and maintain a professional on-air presence,” Leslie said.

Additionally, Leslie joined the WICB Radio news staff and SPJ. At WICB, Leslie still tries to perfect her on-air voice during daily newscasts. As a member and the 2012 treasurer of SPJ, Leslie attends (and, as an executive board member, planned) workshops that help journalism students gain extensive knowledge about all different parts of the industry. Leslie notes that her networking experience at regional and national conferences is the most important take-away from her time with SPJ.

“I have been able to network with other SPJ members and professionals in the industry, making me confident that I can have a connection no matter where I decide to work,” Leslie said.

However, Leslie feels that her internships in Boston and London really set her apart from the pack of aspiring collegiate broadcast journalists.

As an intern with investigative reporter Hank Phillippi Ryan and producer Mary Schwager at NBC affiliate WHDH, Leslie researched and fact-checked stories and assisted with several stages of production. Leslie said this work allowed her to gain perspective on investigative journalism.

“I really got to see how much work goes into an investigation, working for a television station and being a reporter,” Leslie said. “It’s a lot harder than it looks to create a two-five minute piece. What looks like it’s filmed in a day could take weeks to months, and sometimes even after a lot of work, could end up not being a story at all.”

Interning in London with Newspepper and TechFluff.TV allows Leslie to expose herself to “new media [and] different ways of reporting” while gaining experience in her chosen field.

“[My internships give] me the freedom to go out and get experience with reporting and editing, and will leave me with even more footage for my demo reel,” Leslie said.

Leslie’s all-around skills from the college’s journalism program are not unique—many students experience a variety of aspects of the industry before graduation. Leslie says this diversity allowed her to strengthen her portfolio and sit comfortably knowing she wants to go into broadcast after Ithaca.

“My favorite part of the Ithaca College journalism program is that we get a variety of print, broadcast and multimedia experience in one curriculum,” Leslie said. “If the program had concentrations, I might not have ever ventured into InDesign or gotten as much print writing experience that I wanted.”

Alexandra Leslie ‘14 is a journalism major and politics minor from North Reading, Mass.